Rail anchor



Aug- 16, 1938. R.'A. BLAIR 2,126,983

RAIL ANCHOR Filed Oct. l0, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ff TwN/QM jim Patented Aug. 16, 1938 PATENT OFFQE RAIL ANCHOR Rolandis A. Blair,

Columbia City, Ind.

Application October 10, 1935, Serial No. 44,323

7 Claims.

My invention relates to rail anchors of a type adapted for application upon a railway rail in position to engage a cross tie or other Xed part of a track for holding the rail against move- 5 ment longitudinally of itself. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a new and improved form and arrangement of parts combined in unitary integral form and adapted to be applied so as to have an operative tight gripping 10 engagement with the base flange of a rail in spite of slight variations in the width or thickness of the flange such as are brought about in practice by the wear of the rolls by which the rails are produced.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved form of anchor comprising two jaws adapted to engage opposite sides of the ange of a rail and connected to each other by means of two oppositely bowed bars of such length normally as to require a slight elongation of the bars against the force of their elasticity for application of the two jaws to the rail, whereby said bars hold said jaws in operative gripping relationship to the rail.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved anchor of this type having an upper jaw portion at one end of the anchor of comparatively very small length and so arranged that the opposite end of the anchor can first be hooked about the edge of the ange and said short jaw portion can then be forced upwardly into operative position by a lever employing the edge of the ange as a fulcrum, said short jaw portion being beveled so as to permit a camming action for causing the required elongation of the anchor.

It is one oi' the objects of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of the type specied in which both of the two bowed bars connecting the end jaws are adapted to stand in engagement with the bottom face of the rail flange whereby when pressure is applied upon one of the bars by engagement with a cross tie the other bar by its engagement with the rail serves to hold the anchor from twisting about an axis extending transversely of the rail. It is another object of my invention to form such an anchor in the form of a loop, preferably formed by bending a bar or strip of steel upon itself so as to bring the end portions of the bar alongside of each other at one end of the loop, the legs of the loop being connected together at their end portions by means of a rivet or other bolt the head portions of which serve as a bearing for a lever by which the anchor may be applied to a rail or removed therefrom.

(Cl. 23S-330) It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this typein sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings,-

Fig. l is a top plan View of the preferred form of my improved anchor in position upon a rail, the rail being partially broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a side face view of the anchor as shown in Fig. 1, with the rail flange shown in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a side face View of my improved anchor in its preliminary position ready for the application of power thereto for application of the anchor to the rail flange shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View similar to Fig. l but showing a modied form of construction;

Fig. 5 is a side face view of the anchor shown in Fig. 4 in position upon a rail flange shown in section;

Fig. 6 is an end view of my improved anchor as seen from the right in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a side face View of my improved anchor upon a reduced scale showing the anchor in its preliminary position preparatory to tion to a rail shown in section.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, lll indicates a railway rail, with the lupper portion thereof cut away, and with the rail supported upon a cross tie Il of any approved type. In the anchor as shown in Fig. 1, oppositely bowed bar portions l2 and I3 are connected together at opposite end portions at opposite sides of the rail, the anchor in the l arrangement shown being formed from a bar bent backwardly upon itself so as to provide a loop closed at both ends, the end portions of the strip being secured rigidly together in face contact with each other by means of a heavy rivet I4 comprising considerably enlarged head portions 15 and i6 at opposite faces of the anchor. At one side of the rail, the loop is provided with a jaw member Il which in the arrangement shown is formed integrally with the bar or strip from which the loop is bent, being formed on the upper edge of the intermediate web portion of the loop located between the oppositely bowed cross bar portions l2 and I3, the jaw member Il having such conformation as to flt snugly about the edge applica- Cil Cil

AII)

portion of the flange of the rail ID as shown at the right in Fig. 2. At the opposite end of the loop, the end portions of the bars I2 and I3 are shaped to provide a notch I8 adapted to be forced into engagement with the opposite edge of the flange of the rail. The arrangement is such that when the jaw I? is hooked over one edge of the rail flange the opposite edge of the flange normally engages an upwardly and outwardly beveled face portion I9 which has a camming action on the edge of the rail for producing a slight elongation of the anchor as-the anchor is forced upwardly from its preliminary position as shown in Fig. 3 to its fully applied position as shown in Fig. 2.

For applying the anchor to the rail for which it is designed, a claw bar is preferably employed straddling the end portions of the bars I2 and i3 and engaging the heads I5 and I6 of the rivet. By the use of the edge of the flange of the rail as a fulcrum for such a claw bar, an operator is enabled readily to force the jaw members upwardly and outwardly for bringing the notch i8 into engagement with the edge of the flange as shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal length of the jaw transversely of the rail being comparatively small so as to avoid undue distortion of the anchor in the course of Vits application in this manner to a rail. The rivet Iii is preferably positioned in the end portions of the bars i2 and I3 so as to stand in spaced relation both outwardly and upwardly with respect to the flange of the rail when the anchor is in operative position thereon, and so as to stand in spaced relation outwardly and downwardly with respect to the ange when the anchor is in its initial position as shown in Fig. 3i, thereby enabling the rivet to be used to advantage as above explained for a bearing for a claw bar or other lever by which the necessary elongation of the anchor is effected for application of the anchor to the rail or for its removal therefrom.

With the anchor in position as shown in Figs. l and 2, with the outside face of one of the cross bars I2 and I3 in engagement with the adjacent side face of a cross tie II, when pressure is applied to the rail tending to advance it in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, such pressure is ordinarily applied to the cross tie through the bar I3 of the anchor at a point spaced downwardly from the bottom face of the rail so as to have a tendency to give the anchor a swinging movement about an axis extending transversely of the rail. Such tendency to swing is opposed and offset by the engagement of the bar I2 at the opposite side of the loopv with the bottom face of the flange of the rail. By reason of the jaw I'! being of comparatively great length longitudinally of the rail, any tendency for twisting the anchor from the rail is overcome and the grip of the anchor upon the side edges of the flange of the rail is readily maintained. Any such tendency for a swinging movement of the anchor with respect to the rail serves to tighten the grip of the jaw I'i on the top face of the flange and to tighten the grip of the bar I2 against the bottom face of the flange so as to hold the rail very strongly against movement longitudinally with respect to the anchor.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, a slightly different arrangement is employed, the loop being formed by splitting the heavy bar 20 forming the body of the anchor and then bending the upper portion 2l of the bar in one direction and the bottom portion 22 of the bar in the opposite direction, the anchor being applied to the rail lil in position to have the lower bar portion 22 adjacent to the cross tie Il, as is best shown in Fig. 6. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 to 7, a heavy bolt 23 in the form of a rivet is employed having enlarged heads 24 and 25 at opposite faces to serve as bearings for the application of the anchor to a rail. The jaw portion 26 at the end of the bar in which the rivet 23 is mounted has an outwardly and upwardly beveled face 2l so as to have a camming action upon the edge of the rail when it is being forced into position to receive the edge of the rail flange into the notch 28 provided by the jaw. The notch 29 provided by the jaw 3U at the opposite end of the anchor is of considerably greater length transversely of the rail than that of the jaw carried by the member 2li. The jaw 30 is reenforced with respect to swinging movement of the anchor in counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 6 by means of a bearing member carried thereby in position to engage the upper face of the ange l of the rail at the side face thereof adjacent tothe cross tie il, such bearing member in the arrangement shown being in the form of an arm 3l formed integrally with the jaw member 30 and turned downwardly in slightly spaced relation at one side thereof.

With the anchor in position upon the rail as shown in Figs. Ll, and 6, and with the outwardly bowed bar portion 22 in contact with the face of the adjacent cross tie II, when pressure is applied to the rail II) for moving it toward the left in Fig. 5 the arm 3| by its engagement with the upper face of the flange of the rail and the top bar portion 2i by its engagement with the bottom face of the rail flange serve to keep the anchor from movement in counter-clockwise direction in said Fig. 6 and serve by their pressure on the flange to assist in holding the rail from moving longitudinally with respect to the anchor.

As will be appreciated by a. comparison of the parts in Figs. 3 and '7, the flange of the rail in both of said gures is substantially wider than the normal space between the jaws at opposite ends of the anchor. As will be readily understood, when the side portions of the loop are elongated slightly and distorted correspondingly from their normal shape for the application of the anchor to the rail, this must be accomplished against the force of the elasticity of the curved side bars of the loop. The jaw members at opposite ends of the anchor when in operative position on a rail are therefore in both of said constructions held in tight gripping relationship to the side faces of the flange, so that the anchor in both cases has normally a very strong grip upon the rail. When this grip is strengthcned by a toggle or lever effect upon the application of pressure through the anchor upon the side face of the cross tie so as to have a tendency to swing the anchor about a transverse axis, the grip of the anchor upon the rail becomes so strong as to be very effective for preventing any movement of the rail longitudinally with respect to the anchor.

While I prefer to employ the form of anchor as shown in my drawings, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto except so far as some of the claims may be so limited in terms, it being understood that changes might well be made in the arrangement shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:-

l. In a rail anchor, the combination of two cross bar members connected together in the form of a loop closed at both ends, jaw members carried by the loop at opposite end portions thereof and rising above the level of the loop in position to be brought into tight gripping engagement with the opposite edges of the flange of a rail when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the bowed side portions of the loop, and a pin through the anchor at one end portion thereof serving as a bearing for the application of pressure to the anchor for applying it to or removing it from a rail, the upper end portion of the jaw member adjacent to said pin being beveled outwardly and upwardly so as to have a camming action on the edge of the flange of a rail for the application of the device to the rail.

2. In a rail anchor. the combination of a strip of metal bent backwardly upon itself into the form of a loop with its end portions oppositely disposed, a jaw member carried by the loop in position to be hooked over one edge of a flange of a rail, a second jaw member carried by said end portions of the strip, said jaw members being arranged in such spaced relation to each other as to have a tight gripping engagement with said flange when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the side portions of the loop, and means rigidly connecting said end portions of the strip together whereby each side bar portion assists in holding the anchor securely in normal operative position on the rail.

3. In a rail anchor, the combination of a strip of metal bent backwardly upon itself into the form of a loop with its end portions in face to face engagement with each other, a jaw mem- 1 ber carried by the loop in position to be hooked l r- Liv.)

over one edge of' the flange of a rail, other jaw members formed integrally with the end portions of said strip and also in face to face engagement in such spaced relation with respect to said first named jaw member as to enable said jaws to have a tight gripping engagement with said flange when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the side portions of the loop, and means for connecting said second named jaw members rigidly together for preventing movement of either one longitudinally of the rail with respect to the other.

4. In a rail anchor, the combination of a strip of metal bent backwardly upon itself into the form of a loop with its end portions oppositely disposed, a jaw member carried by the loop in position to be hooked over one edge of the flange of a rail, other jaw members formed integrally with the end portions of said strip in such spaced relation with respect to said first named jaw member as to enable said jaws to have a tight gripping engagement with said flange when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the side portions of the loop, and a heavy rivet with enlarged head portions connecting said end portions of the strip rigidly together and serving as a bearing for a claw bar for the application of pressure to the anchor for applying it to or removing it from a rail.

5. In a rail anchor, the combination of a cross bar split at its intermediate part longitudinally into two portions which are bowed outwardly in opposite directions to form a loop closed at both ends, jaw members carried by the end portions of the cross bar and rising above the level of the upper bar portion in position to be brought into tight lgripping engagement with the opposite edges of the flange of a rail when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the outwardly bowed intermediate bar portions, and a pin through one end portion of said cross bar and extending at opposite faces of the cross bar serving as a bearing for a claw bar for the application of pressure to the anchor for applying it to or removing it from a rail, the upper end of the jaw portion adjacent to said pin being beveled outwardly and upwardly so as to have a camming action for the application of the anchor to a rail.

6. In a rail anchor, the combination of a cross bar split at its intermediate part longitudinally into two portions which are bowed outwardly in opposite directions to form a loop closed at both ends, jaw members carried by the end portions of the cross bar and rising above the level of the upper bar portion in position to be hooked about the edges and over the top face of the flange of a rail when applied thereto by a slight elongation of the anchor against the force of the elasticity of the outwardly bowed intermediate bar portions, means carried by the upper end portion of one of said jaw members and extending therefrom into position to engage the upper face of the flange of the rail at a point in spaced relation to the cross bar for bracing the cross bar against swinging movement about an axis transversely of the rail, said bracing means extending from the cross bar in the opposite direction from that in which the upper one of said bowed bar portions extends, and means comprising a bearing carried by the anchor at the opposite end from that at which said bracing means is located for elongating the anchor for applying it to a rail.

7. In a rail anchor, the combination of a strip of sheet metal of considerably greater width than thickness bent into the form of a closed loop having outwardly bowed cross bar portions at op posite ends of a substantially straight intermediate web portion, means for connecting the end portions of said strip firmly together in face to face engagement with each other, a jaw member carried by said intermediate web portion adapted to be hooked preliminarily over one edge of the flange of a rail, and a second jaw member carried b-y said connected end portions of the strip in such spaced relation to said rst named jaw member as to have a tight gripping engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base flange when the anchor is applied to a rail by the elongation of the anchor and adapted by cooperation with said first named jaw member to hold both o1 said cross bar portions in snug engagement with the bottom face of the base flange of the rail.

ROLANDIS A. BLAIR. 

